Broken Fate
by Zealswordsmen
Summary: "What in goddesses name, could an eight year old child have done to deserve so much hatred?" Zelda cannot help to question herself as the civilians of Konoha ostracize her. *English is not my native language, so be prepared for a bumpy ride trought grammar. However I'm trying my best to make it a enjoyable reading for you all. Have Fun.*
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Forlorn.

She looked at the man beside her. His name is Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage of Konoha.

The title of Hokage meant that the man was the leader of the Hiden village in the leafs. A man with great power himself. Being Hokage was not a political career. But a position acquired by the most powerful and distinct shinobi, who have proven themselves not just great combatants but also remarkable leaders.

She could observe his age through his wrinkled skin, his tired eyes still hold fierce strength that did not match his body. He smiled with kindness and sadness at her. She never knew why the man acted the way he did. He always picked a time in his probably busy schedule to visit her.

An orphan of the kyuubi attack. Or so was the official story. If it was so simple, why would a man of such importance be visiting her so often? Would she remind him of some relative he lost in such grim event? Did the man felt guilt that back at the time he was not the one to sacrifice for the good of Konoha? Was he projecting her as all the lives that were lost that day?

She did not believe that such was the case. After all, behind his grandfatherly demeanor, the man seemed much more dignifying. He would recognize the sacrifices made by his young successor instead of belittling the fourth Hokage stating that he would had done better.

She heard another voice in the room; she could not really put her attention to it. She would not really bring herself to put much attention to anything indeed. It was as she once went to sleep and never really woke up in the next morning. Everything felt rather numb, with a few exceptions. The Hokage being one of them.

"Hokage-sama. _It_ have not changed since the last time you visited."

The woman besides her sneered, and wouldn't even dignify in acknowledging her as a human being. The woman was one of the matrons of the orphanage. As all the staff, their loafing and hatred towards her seemed never ending.

The Hokage gaze shifted to the woman seeming to pin her in place. His eyes rumbling behind his blank expression.

"By all means. Tell me how Zelda-chan have being. If anything, you noticed any difference in her behavior, ever since the 'accident'. "

Zelda kept her face blank. It was no accident; the caretakers of the orphanage took a particular method to celebrate her birthday. They would first get drunk and then, they would chain her dangling from the ceiling and proceed to hit her with wet towels to leave no marks till she passed out. However, on her sixth birthday they felt it was not enough for Zelda to repent from whichever crime they believed a six years old was capable of committing by tripping her down the stairs. A couple of times.

That rendered Zelda in comatose state for a few weeks, or so did believe the Konoha medic-nins. Truth to be told, it was no mere coma that she went trough. The near death experience put her so close to the other side that Zelda met herself. Her true self. Her very soul.

The soul of the Goddess Hylia. The protector of the Triforce, the Hylians and the Kingdom of Hyrule and all her reincarnations trough the eons.

Zelda could see time and time again the full cycle of rebirth, were she took the role of sovereign and guide to the people of Hyrule. Always standing between them and total annihilation angsts the curse of hatred launched by her ancient nemesis. The demon King and incarnation of hatred itself, Demise.

The curse took form time and time again by the Gerudo King and Lord of Darkness Ganondorf. Wielding the most powerful artifact in know history, by irony of destiny. The man was the chosen of the Triforce of Power. He tried to conquer the ultimate power through the eons. Nevertheless, never succeeded.

Until the break of the cycle. All because of one little imp.

Who would say that such great fate weaved by more than one Goddess could be so simply destroyed, by one little imp? That Hylia no longer possessed the duty to guard the Triforce. Because there was no more Triforce to be guarded. All there was left from the great relic was only one piece. The piece that Zelda still hold through her rebirths. The Triforce of Wisdon. The only piece left.

The goddess no longer was hinged by the curse of Demise. No longer needed to defend a kingdom or the existence of its people. No longer needed to defend the relic that if fallen in the wrong hands could bring the end of the world. All that was left was a soul without a purpose.

Zelda felt hollow, and for the first time in Eons, the goddess made flesh did not know what to do with its mortal life. She could not go back in being a full fledge divinity. She gave up on such when she descent to fight alongside the mortals against the demons at the beginning of the existence. She no longer knew what to do with herself.

She remembered before the accident that she really tried to be part, to belong in the community of Konoha. She tried to have friends, she was a good and gentle girl as far as she could see. Nevertheless, there was always that seething hatred from the adults towards her. And the names. Why to call a child a demon or claim that she was the cause for death and suffering. The line of people claiming that she was guilty of such never diminish, it only grow, and the children soaked such behavior. If anything went wrong or anyone did mischief, Zelda would be the scapegoat. No matter how.

With time Zelda began to feel isolated from the others, she could not even talk anymore. She just tried to stay away from people in general. However, such is not the way of mortals, and Zelda could not but crave for the company of others. Until the accident in her birthday, something seemed a little more broken than the usual. Moreover, her mind was somewhat numb with all the truths about herself. It made everything else easier. She no longer could feel the same way she used to.

The care taker scowled and cleared her throat.

"Well since the incident, two years ago. _It_ have not responded to any form of communication. If we set _it_ to do something _it_ do without questioning in any way or form."

Zelda remembered being tasked in cleaning duties that nobody wanted to do or to work on hours that no sane person would work, usually trough the nights.

" _It_ also work on her lessons. During classes _It_ doesn't make questions. But _it_ tests have perfect attendance."

The Hokage face grimaced with worry, his eyes looked at her, searching, hoping. The woman sneered spatting 'It' as something filthy she would hater not have anything to do with.

" _It_ also do everything in that quiet creepy way. If _it_ needs to go to the bathroom, _it_ just goes and come without making a sound, just like eating and the like. It is quiet the problem. Sometimes we have to waste time looking for _it_ up and down. I really think _it_ should be put in the care of more appropriated personal trained to do with insane _things_."

Hiruzen looked tired, showing his age for the first time.

"I had hopes that she could get better. Perhaps then I could finally enroll her in the Academy…"

The rest of the talks where tuned out as Zelda herd the words. Academy. It meant that the Hokage was willing to enroll here as a kunouchi. Why would the man do such a thing?

It was clear that she is hated. For this Goddess forsaken land reason, she is hated for the whole village. Going to the school even in her unresponsive state seemed to cause even more the ire of those around her. Shoving her to ground, screaming at her face, throwing rocks and so forth.

More than once, the shinobi with animal masks called ANBU had to step in to save her life. Some of them seemed only to intervene if she was at the brink of death.

What in itself was another mystery. One that she did not had found in herself the will to investigate. The ANBU were obviously the police force of the village. Their elites. Why would an orphan dispose of such undivided attention?

However, there he was, the Hokage. The most powerful man of the village, if not the Fire Country alone; taking its time to visit her on her eight birthday to see if she had the desire or the possibility to attend the shinobi academy.

Zelda eyes slowly turned to man, her movement did not go unnoticed. The man stared at her in silence, his dark eyes had a glint of hope, Zelda for the first time in two years took the ambient around her as reality.

Until that very moment everything felt just like a dream, she suddenly felt the weight of her tiny body. She felt slight trembles and her lack of strength. Obviously results of malnourishment and the physical abuses. She blinked her eyes a few times as if she never truly used then so far. Like she was seeing for the first time. She felt her sore muscles and shifted her weight from leg to leg. Her eyes swept around the room finally taking in its details; so far she did not even noticed that she was standing. It was a long room with several beds with a chest at the end of then where were her belongings.

The Hokage was sitting beside her. Zelda turned her eyes to the elder that had his eyes tense in anticipation. Zelda swallowed, her throat felt hoarse and her voice was shaking for the lack of use.

"Ho… Hoka…"

She coughed once as the Hokage's eyes swept across her as if taking everything happening now. As if, she would just crumble into dust and disappear. Zelda cleared her throat and bowed respectfully.

"When shall I begin Hokage-sama?"

The Hokage blinked twice, the woman behind him seemed to acquire a new shade of white.

"The demon child is back!"

Zelda turned her eyes to the woman. She felt a really mortal feeling now. She felt anger. As her general existence so far felt somewhat numbed so did her feelings. And right now Zelda though that she could choke on so much hatred she felt for the woman. But Zelda's hatred was not something done like a child or a person with poor control over herself. No, she had being noble or at least high social status for all her rebirth cycle. She was trained and ingrained in control over her emotions even the more unruly ones. Her fury was cold, and her displeasure translated in an edge knife cold glare. That trough her blue sapphire eyes generally cut down to the person's very soul.

The woman blushed and could not turned the gaze away. Zelda was no longer of divine flesh. Nevertheless, she was of divine spirit and soul, she knew how unnerving locking eyes with her was. The woman stuttered and only the Hokage intervention saved the woman.

"Zelda-chan."

Zelda turned her eyes to the man. Instantly turning back to her blank expression. The man had never wronged her. If all he looked after her to the best capabilities of one with such prominent position could. He went as far as to visit her personally. She could hold nothing but respect to the man. Who had such an honesty and grandfatherly worry in his eyes.

"Is that really you Zelda-chan?"

Zelda did not smile, after so long in numb state she did not think she still could. She only nodded at the man.

"Yes Hokage-sama."

The world was warmth, Zelda didn't quiet understood till she took in the scent of tabaco and leafs. That was the scent of her Hokage. Of her ruler. Who was holding her in a tight embrace, her body stiffened by itself, anticipating danger by human contact. The man did not seem to notice, and if he did he pretended he didn't.

Zelda felt the slightest frown on her face, being raised as royalty for most of her life, such public demonstration of affection was hardly proper for a man in such position. None of the less she did nothing to consciously, shy away from him. It being too long since she last felt that kind of warmth.

The Hokage then hold her shoulders, his eyes smiling at her.

"Welcome back Zelda-Chan."

Zelda tilted her head.

"I never left."

The Hokage shook head with a soft chuckle and Zelda answered.

"I was always here Hokage-sama. I remember all the times you visited. All the lessons I took. All the chores I did, all the attempts to lynch me in public from school to the orphanage…"

Zelda watched as the man's eyes scowled in fury trough her narration of the events of her life in the last two years in an emotionless voice. Her monotone in it self seemed to deepen his scowl, as the caretaker in the room became whiter. The Hokage rose making a signal with his hand. An ANBU appeared beside the Hokage wearing a white cat mask.

"Your will Hokage-sama?"

"Take Zelda-chan to the hospital wing. I want you with her trough a full checkup. And a talk with Yamanaka-san."

Zelda looked at the Hokage and tilted her head again.

"Can I still go to the academy Hokage-sama?"

Zelda observed, as her emotionless voice seemed to send shivers down the woman in the room and set ablaze the Hokage's dark brown eyes. His scowl then turned in an assuring smile as he addressed her.

"Of course Zelda-chan. I just want to be sure that you are well to begin classes."

He then scowled at the woman on the room.

"While I decide what to do to the staff of this orphanage."

He then stopped for a moment, his eyes glazed.

"Perhaps it is time for me to reevaluate the other orphanages as well…"

Zelda hold her gaze at the man, conceivably the abusive behavior occurred in others orphanages as well? The ANBU then offered her a hand Zelda took the hand as guided her to the hospital.

Zelda went through a battery of exams that seemed endless and then the talk. Zelda sit in a room with a blonde man with pale green eyes. The man smiled at her.

"Hello there Zelda-chan. I am Yamanaka Inoichi."

Zelda stared at him and gave the slight nod of acknowledgment at him.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Yamanaka-san."

Zelda analyzed the man features and nothing betrayed his pleasant mask of cordiality.

"Ah there is no need for that Zelda-chan. You can call me Inoichi. We are here to talk a little okay?"

"No. You are here to make sure I am not mentally ill to serve. It would do poorly to have mentally insane kunoichis serving Konoha."

Somewere in the Forest of Death, also know as training ground 44 a kunoich sloughing in a giant tree branch sneezed and looked around. Then shrugged her shoulders and continued to eat her dango.

Inoichi regarded Zelda for a moment.

"The reasons are not just for the benefit of having mental capable soldiers Zelda-chan. Your wellbeing is also a concern for us."

Inoichi was obviously an able man in the arts of the human mind. Zelda could read how he diverged her thoughts by claiming the concern they allegedly posses towards her. Perhaps it was real. The Hokage actions could not be mustered in such ways, unless the man really cared at some level. Underneath the kind words, Yamanaka-san was saying that if Zelda could not pass his little 'talk', she would be rejected to serve.

Zelda responded with a small nod. The man was concerned with her mental faculties. That was no problem at all for her to show that she was fine. As long as she did not mention the fact that she had the memories of her previous ten lifetimes. Moreover, that it was from apparently another world. And the reincarnation of a minor Goddess nonetheless. Zelda stilled for a moment. Who many of the crazy homeless the street could actually be being in the same position as her? In Zelda's memories, before Konoha she never heard of shinobis and chakra. No there was no need to share such information.

The man smiled and sat up straighter.

"So Zelda-chan. Cat told me that you said you remember everything. That you have being listening the whole time. Why did you not spoke before?"

"I was busy thinking Inoichi-san."

The man cordial smile prompt at her questioning.

"Thinking of what Zelda-chan?"

A sliver of annoyance fell through her eyes. Although she was indeed a child, the suffix chan seemed to undermine her words and credibility of anything she might say. Even with the well-intentioned tone in Yamanka-san's voice, she felt annoyed. None the lass, antagonizing the man would do her little good.

"On purpose. What purpose do I hold. What should I do with my life? These kind of thoughts."

Zelda watched the man's eyes hold a tight marks close to then.

"Ah yes. These kind of things take time to think. But why to talk just now?"

Zelda tilted her head raising her eyebrows.

"Hokage-Sama offered me purpose. He told I could be a kunouchi. I decided to accept."

Yamanaka-san closed his eyes nodding. Zelda knew the man already had what he came to get. However, that did not stop them from a four-hour talk to proceed. He was also digging up for the abuses and people who did her wrong, in a subtly way, avoiding her to properly dig through such memories. Zelda recognized, the Yamanaka-san was a master in his art.

When Yamanaka was done Zelda felt herself sleepy. She never before had noted how tired she was. Her body felt like ledge.

"Zelda-chan?"

She lifted her eyes; the Hokage was smiling at her.

"You look tired Zelda-chan. Let us take you back to the orphanage. Next week you will be starting the academy and you need to recover your strength."

Zelda just nodded as cat offered her a hand and the world disappeared in a blur.

Through the next week Zelda's life on the orphanage drastically changed. As the new caretakers seemed to look after at Zelda as if she was made of glass. The anger and rage were still there, but now there was a healthy measure of fear. Undoubtedly instilled by the Hokage, that seemed to put the staff on their toes in thinking twice before doing anything against herself again. Zelda felt a sliver of vindictive pleasure at that. Especially when they were forced to properly feed her food in place of nothing or scraps. Some times they would tremble in barely controlled rage.

The shinobi academy however was remarkably… Non-different from everything that she had being trough so far. Apparently there were three shinobi classes that trough the following four years would end up being narrowed till only the most promising students would make through the end to become full-fledged shinobi.

Zelda perceived with a slight disappointment that her teachers would treat her the same way the staff of the orphanage did. Moreover, so did the children. For Zelda dismay…

 _Dismay?_

Zelda was walking through the school grounds in the recess as the thought hit her. Why did she felt dismay? What was she hoping in the academy? She already headed toward the path of a kunoichi. What else could she hope from a word that seemed to hate her very bones?

Her mind immediately reeled back to the warm hug of the Hokage around her shoulders. The feeling of not being alone and human warmth.

The answer came so clear in her mind she barely understood. Zelda scan around all the children playing ninja around her. Her hand tighten in a fist and her hearth throbbing Zelda pushed back tears as she walked down the grounds. Once more ruling over her unruly emotions. Part of her mind reasoned that it was ridiculous that she could have such childish toughs or desires.

Nonetheless, she still had then.

Zelda stopped in front of a tree; it had a swing with a boy on it. He had spiky blonde hair, curious whiskers birthmarks, or really nasty scars sets, on his face. He whore baggy clothes and had a wistfully look on his blue eyes watching at the other children playing.

The boy had such a hollow feel to him that it hurt.

 _Much like myself._

Zelda's mind mused. Her eyes frowned in annoyance. What was she thinking? How dare her thoughts to compare her to a mere child? She did not know the reason why a child was she giving her such thoughts. She just feel it.

Zelda just walked away, but her eyes could not help to track the child during the following days. Through the academy corridors or rooms, the boy seemed an endless pity of energy and mischievous joy. He would proclaim, screaming to the four winds that he was Uzumaki Naruto and that he would become Hokage.

Zelda could not help to feel pity of him, and a sliver of annoyance. He was clearly a delusional troublemaker. The teachers would continuously chase him from classes or chase him through the academy, due to his pranks.

Although, Zelda had to admit the child had made good use of the trapping classes, applying then of his pranks. In addition, he has a reasonable good mind for strategy, since his traps could snare the chuunin teachers of the academy.

The boy seemed to attract the teachers ire so frequently that it did not took pranking anymore for the teachers to seem irate with him, not giving him any more attention or instruction. What was… odd.

Zelda frowned as she begun to digest some information. Something did not added up. Even if the boy would be, a little overenthusiastic or annoying in general. It did not justify his treatment. If he was misbehaving, it was their duty to bring it up to his parents to make sure he would have proper behavior to properly learn in the academy.

That was not a play ground, they were learning skills that were detrimental for their survival. Falling to properly learn here the shinobi way could meant an early death. Shouldn't it be the instructors priority to make sure they had the proper set of skills to fight for Konoha?

On the other hand, she could see herself receiving a nearly identical treatment. Teachers would call upon her on subjects they haven't properly brushed yet and demanded her to respond their nonsensical questions. She got surprised to see their dismay and fury every time she could properly answer. Zelda possessed nearly eidetic memory, and natural grasp on academic subjects. Nevertheless, she could not study on how to properly work her body.

It was the taijutsu instructor twisted pleasure in berating her for her poorly instructed forms that greeted her to no end. Being a demanding instructor when you would properly instruct was understandable, even desirable. But they were simply abusive. To the point to pity themselves, fully grow adults chuunin to fight against her. Alleging that she was so bellow that she need more individual instruction, not instructing her at all. If not for her time as a sheika, Hyrule's equivalent of a shinobi, she would have believed that she was a hopeless case.

She felt her mouth full of blood and her parted lips sting with the pain. She looked up to her instructor smirking at her.

"That is no good. You will never be shinobi if you can't grasp such simple block exercise."

Zelda considered herself a reasonable person, a person with iron grip grasp on her emotions. But right now she stood limping on her legs looking down at her instructor that seemed to flinch under her scrutiny.

"You can't blame the student for the sensei's incompetence. My failures are your failures in the attempt to teach. How do expect for me or Uzumaki-san to learn taijutsu with your blatant attempts to drag us down?"

The man's face passed from surprise to a nasty scowl he opened his mouth to argue when the preteen high pitied voice rang.

"Yeah! Zelda-chan is right! How can we learn when you are not teaching us propr-per-pri… Teaching us good?"

Zelda's mind cringed at the grammatical murder of that sentence. She had not noticed when Uzumaki Naruto-san had got next to them. He stood there glaring at the instructor with his arms crossed standing between her and the instructor. Zelda frowned a little, was it possible that Uzumaki –san was trying to protect her? No one ever did that to her. In the next moment she felt a suffocating feeling that poured of their instructor. He then raged.

"Shut up you damn demons kids!"

The man rushed at them, Zelda registered his movements as nothing more than blurry motions. When her eyes focused again there was the tip of a kunai in front of her right eye. Umino Iruka sensei was holding the other man's arm. The teacher voice came low with a remarkable authority to it, in contrast to his usually comically loud teacher demeanor.

"That is enough. You are out of place."

The man snarled at Iruka that shifted his body and throw the man on the ground. An ANBU quickly appeared relieving Iruka and taking the instructor away. Iruka still managed to walk up the two of them. Making sure, they were all right. In addition, for some reason, Zelda could not help in noticing that the teachers voice seemed to carry a remarkable amount of worry between the two kids.

Naruto just disregard to case with a wave, claiming that someone as 'awesome' as him would had dealt with it. After all he was the future Hokage. Zelda's eye did catch that his hands were trembling when he walked away, part of her berated the boy for reckless behavior, part felt warm and fuzzy feelings in her chest. She just nodded to Umino-san in gratitude for his intervention. Other wise she had no doubts that the man would had killed both of them. Zelda walked away trying once more to understand what was really happening in that academy. But above all she had Naruto to thank. The boy in some way tried to stand up for her. An attitude she was yet to see in another child of their age.

The next day during recess, she found Naruto standing in his swing. Zelda made her mind in knowing the boy. She needed at least to thank him for standing up to her. It was, after all the proper thing to do. She sat in the swing beside him and he jolted looking at her with wide eyes.

Zelda raised one eye brown and nodded at him. Still not sure on how to begin a talk with a child, of her _'own'_ age but a child nonetheless. She got her lunch box and opened it as she heard ruffling beside her and looked at the boy who was staring at a cup of instant ramen with such intensity, that she question if he was trying to cook it through his sheer will power.

"How do you plan on cooking that?"

The boy tuned to her startled for a moment and then smiled grinned sheepishly.

"Ano… I don't know."

Zelda rose her second eye brown and the boy release a shy chuckle. He seemed remarkable awkward with the situation. For someone so loud, that meek behavior was not what she expected.

"Your parents didn't gave you a bento?"

The boy startled with wide eyes and looked away. Zelda frowned. Bothe remained in silence for some time. Zelda nodded.

"So you are like me."

The boys head snapped in her direction and she found a very confused pair of blue eyes staring right at her. She then stood at the corner of the swing closer to him, the boy seemed to recede a little Zelda then offered her lunchbox.

"Want to share?"

He seemed suspicious of her innocent act, Zelda could understand. After all, she was not that much expressive anymore. Her voice still sounded monotone and disproved of emotion. She then insisted passing the chopsticks to the boy.

"Share."

He looked at the lunch box and to her, she then looked down at the lunch box and he took a little of rice tentatively and ate as his stomach begun to grumble. He blushed as Zelda smirked with a very unladylike snort. His eyes snapped at her as she covered her mouth with her hand. He gave a foxy grin at her.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto! And I will be Hokage. Believe it!"

Zelda stared at the boy with a smile she did not know she still had curled up on her lips as she bowed politely at him.

"And I am Zelda. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Uzumaki-san"

His grin reduced into an awkward smile and she could feel a tension in the air. Perhaps the teachers berating made him wary of polite behavior. He forced a laugh.

"Right, right…"

Zelda shrug the awkward feeling and begun to eat too. Naruto shared a few bites staring at her as if she would simply disappear in thin air. He opened his mouth to emulate a question and closed it again. He did it a few times as if choosing what he wanted to ask.

"Ano… Zelda-chan are you also going to be shinobi?"

Zelda cast him a look and nodded. The boy seemed to light up with that. His eyes gleaming with excitement.

"I am going to be an amazing shinobi too! You will see! I will be just like the Fourth Hokage! And the whole village will see how awesome I am!"

Zelda the look up the boy, he had such a determination and eagerness that Zelda could only envy herself of. She wondered if the boy would had shut down from the world just like she had done, if he ever was in her shoes as the village pariah. On another hand if he wanted to be just like the Yodaime Hokage he was half way there. She speculated that when he grew up, he probably would look like the fourth Hokage. After all, apart from members of Yamanaka clan, as far as she knew, just her Naruto and the Yodaime were the only blondes of Konoha. That and only her and Naruto had such blue eyes and… Whiskers… Birth marks?

 _Wait. What?_

"Ne? Ne? Zelda-chan, you alright?"

Zelda seemed to snap out of reverie as Naruto shake her shoulders, she blinked at him numbly, he was so close. She then flinched away from his contact and saw a sliver of hurt in his eyes. Zelda felt a little of guilt and annoyance at his reaction. She then ruled her emotions and stated at his eyes coldly. She had new questions and needed answers.

"How old are you Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto blinked at her.

"I am eight. Why?"

Zelda blinked back.

"When is your birthday?"

Naruto frowned and looked away. Zelda sighted and announced.

"My birthday is October 10th."

Naruto snapped with wide eyes.

"Me too!"

Zelda nodded. Pieces seemed to fall in place.

"On the orphanage, Hokage-sama told me that my parents died during the Kyubii attack."

Naruto mouth was agape, the action did not improve his overall look, it indeed seemed to make him look dumber by the second she criticized internally. He then sobered up and frowned.

"The old man said the same thing about my parents too! Wait! I was in the Orphanage! I don't remember you there!"

Zelda looked up in tough then stared again at him.

"Well I was in an orphanage and I don't remember you Uzumaki-san."

Naruto was taken back and scowled hard, Zelda could almost smell his brain burning trying to solve the puzzle. He muttering under his breath.

"But I was in an orphanage… But she was also in an orphanage…"

Zelda already understood that there were more the one orphanage in Konoha. And questioned once more Uzumaki-san's mental faculties. Although trying to explain that to Naruto would probably take a lot of convincing. It would be easier to let him find it out by himself. He then startled and jumped up with a victorious grin.

"Ah! There are two orphanages in Konoha!"

Zelda nodded agreeing in her monotone.

"And you only needed five minutes to solve that Uzumaki-san. Very astute of you."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at her accusing.

"Are you mocking me?"

Zelda looked away trying to hide her smirk of her face.

"No."

Naruto stomped his feet and pointed at her.

"You totally are!"

Zelda coughed politely and looked over him.

"Why you are no longer in the orphanage Uzumaki-san?"

The boy startled and gave a huge grin.

"I am just that amazing! I just moved out. Jiji got me an apartment and all."

Zelda stared trough that grin of his, there seemed to have an story behind that.

 _Orphanage?_

Zelda then heeled back the memory of the Third Hokage announcing that he was going to take care of other orphanages as well. So was Uzumaki as hated as her too? To the point that the Hokage had to give him an apartment away from such a place? Zelda could very well understand an escalating war between Usumaki's pranks and the Natural hatred of the caretakers. However to approach such manners required a minimal decorum.

"I see the teachers seen hater… abrasive with you Uzumaki-san."

Uzumaki looked down with a frown on his face and a very familiar glint of loneliness.

"They are kind like the rest of the village I guess. They don't really like me."

When the boy voice seemed ready to drown him in loneliness the stupid grin splattered in his face.

"But since I am an awesome shinobi jiji got me an apartment and brought me to the academy to be even more awesome!"

Zelda though the words for a moment, what he did not tell her. She did not heard him talking about someone taking care of him. The Hokage seem to isolate him to make sure others would not hurt him.

Zelda took a long time staring at Uzumaki in silence, analyzing. They were most likely family the coincidences were too much. Moreover, if it was indeed the case, he was, in some ways, her responsibility. She was after all the oldest, taking of course the count of her many life times. Uzumaki-san was not really bad, just awfully loud and annoying. He had a lot of charismatic potential. The class he pranked would always had children screaming in glee and mischievous happiness. Yes, she could shape him properly. Then perhaps they would not had to be the village pariahs.

She heard the sound of the school bells. Despite of all the adversity he would be facing, she saw a ingrained determination in his eyes. Uzumaki Naruto was eager to become a shinobi.

"Ne Zelda-chan. We can't be late for class. Sensei will get mad at you if you're late."

Zelda shook head.

"You go ahead Uzumaki-san. I have an appointment."

Zelda watched Naruto moving to the school. She picked her things up and walked to the Hokage Tower. The people on the street sneered in her direction, insulted at here mere presence and moved away. Some just pretended she did not exist and Zelda had no problems with that.

There was one person she wanted to talk to and one person alone.

Zelda reached the base of the Hokage tower, she stride purposely through the door. As her first foot touched the floor of the inside the tower, her posture changed. She was straighter; she poured an aura of command and royalty. Her eyes were sharp with purpose. A few workers of the tower seemed to jolt stunned when she looked their way. Zelda stood in front of the Hokage secretary and the woman squirmed under her scrutiny.

"I am here to see Hokage-sama."

The secretary seemed confuse in how to proceed, opening and closing her mouth in the best imitation of a fish. Her eyes the run through the organizer on her desk growing in insecurity as she heard the Hokage opening the door scanning the entrance of his office. Only to give a confusing glance over Zelda. The secretary took a tentative look at the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama. Hime is here to speak with you, but I don't believe that she has appointment."

Hokage raised an eye brown at the secretary. Zelda gave the Hokage a royal bow.

"If you would so kindly to spare me a moment of your time Hokage-sama. I wish to discuss family matters with you."

The Hokage shoot his both eyebrows up and nodded.

"Of course hime. Please this way."

The Hokage hold the door to Zelda and gesture to her sit on the guest chair as he sat behind his desk. Then he gave her an intrigued smile.

"I must say Zelda-chan, it is a remarkable trick of presence. Enough that normal people and some shinobi are not quiet capable to recognize you."

He then light up his pipe.

"Not quite a killing intent but… Anyway, what brings you here Zelda-chan? I was under the impression that you should be at the academy at this hour."

Zelda did not nod. Did not argue. Did not give a response. Zelda stood up, and crouched in geisha position so low that her forehead touched the floor.

"I beg of you Hokage-sama. Let me live with my brother!"

Zelda felt surprise when she heard the desperation in her voice. She never knew how much she wanted a family or to stay away from the constant hatred that poured from the orphanage care takers. She stood there facing the floor for a few minutes while she could feel the Hokage gaze upon her.

"Rise Zelda-chan and sit."

Zelda stood slowly and looked at the Hokage. The man's eyes were scrutinizing her for a moment before smiling innocently.

"I am afraid I don't know what you are talking about Zelda-Chan."

Zelda tilted her head.

"I am talking about Uzumaki Naruto-san."

Hiruzen eye brown just shoot up in surprise.

"You think Naruto is your brother?"

Zelda nodded.

"My twin brother Hokage-sama. We are both born in the same day. Our parent's story is the same. You monitor both of us. Even going as far as to take Naruto away from his orphanage. He admitted that he was as hated as I am, although the reasons for such hostilities are still beyond me. What could two eight year old children possibly do to provoke such hostility?"

The Hokage puffed lazy smoke rings. The filling the air with sweet tabaco scent.

"That is an interesting theory Zelda-chan. Nevertheless, why then, would you both be raised in different orphanages? Or why would I not tell neither of you about the other?"

"Protection."

Zelda stated as a matter of fact. The Hokage just stared at her prompting her to delve in it more.

"Whoever our parents were I deduce that they made a lot of enemies. Alternatively, because of them, we are in some form of danger if our lineage is revealed. Henceforth the need to keep the secret from us. After all how much can you trust a child in keeping a secret? As for us being raised apart, I believe that it was an attempt to not let all the eggs in the same basket. If the, hypothetical, enemies were to find the connection, they not necessarily would know about us being brothers. As cold as it look likes, at least one of us would be safe if the other were ever found."

Hokage nodded listening to everything unfazed. His hands played with some of the papers over the table.

"That is quite a lot of speculation Zelda-chan."

Zelda nodded conceding.

"Indeed, it is Hokage-sama. However, I find hard to take apart the other similarities that we share. Our physical semblance, that is quiet a unique trace within the village."

The both hold stares at one another for a few minutes until the Hokage's face cringed in to a smile.

"You will be a fine kunoich Zelda-chan. You are correct Uzumaki Naruto is your brother. But you also know the risk of putting you two together…"

"Please Hokage-sama we need this."

The Hokage took in Zelda's plea. He stood up to the window and stare at the village and the Hokage monument. His voice sounded cold as steel.

"Naruto must never learn of that. You are to never repeat such things to him. Until I deem it an appropriate time and will fill him in myself about it. In addition, till such time you are to size any attempts to find any information regarding such matters."

Zelda nodded.

"I understand and comply with such terms."

The Hokage turned to her and smiled.

"Then Zelda-chan, lets introduce you to your brother."

Later in the afternoon they finally reached the pink building were Uzumaki Naruto lived. Zelda remembered that the ugly pink building reminded her of a strawberry cake.

The Hokage smiled when they reached the door and knocked on it. She heard a hesitant voice on the other side of the door.

"Who is it?"

"It is the Hokage Naruto-kun."

Naruto opened the door and smiled broadly, as he shouted in glee.

"Jiji! What are you doing here…? Zelda-chan?"

Hokage made a surprised face as he turned to Zelda then to Naruto.

"Did you met Zelda-chan Before Naruto?"

Naruto smiled and scratched his neck.

"Yeah we met at school. Iruka saved us from that crazy bastard. She also shared her lunch with me. Hey Jiji why is Zelda-chan Here?"

The Hokage nodded.

"Well Naruto we have something very important to discuss can we come in for a moment?"

Naruto eyed the Hokage bringing a bag with Zelda's belongings and nodded.

"Sure Jiji."

Zelda entered the small apartment and her nose wrinkled at the smell and untidiness of the place. She though the boy would have at least a guardian or someone looking over him. Nevertheless, it did not seem so. The boy was probably alone in there. The lack of hygiene, the stashes of instant ramen. The clothes throw all over the place.

The room had a bed and a single dinner table with only one chair and a make-shift kitchen. The Hokage entered smiling.

"Naruto I want to introduce you to Uzumaki Zelda-chan."

Naruto frowned.

"I already know Zelda…"

His face then twisted in confusion as his head snapped to Zelda.

"Eh?"

The Hokage smiled apologetic.

"You see Naruto, there was a problem with the paper work when you two were sent to the orphanage. You two should have being together, you are after all family. She is your twin sister Uzumaki Zelda."

Zelda bowed respectfully.

"It is a pleasure to meet y… Onf!"

Zelda did not manage to finish speaking as Naruto tackled her in a tight hug. Zelda fell hitting the floor having the air knocked out of her. Zelda looked down to see a mess of sunshine blonde heir trembling and snuggling on her. So desperately trying to not let go that it strained her heart at the same time, being hugged by him gave her fuzzy feelings her hearth.

"Naruto I think you might be hurting her."

The Hokage warned amicable, Naruto head snapped up looking at her. His face in utter terror and fear. Naruto let go of her as if she white hot steel and desperately moved away from her on the other side of the room. Zelda rose slowly as Naruto put that huge grin on his face again and scratched his back.

"Sorry, sorry Zelda-chan."

His grin than became awkward as rose and looked sheepishly.

"Ano… you not hurt are you?"

Zelda bowed slightly.

"I am well Uzumaki-san."

The Hokage raised one eye to Zelda.

"Naruto I brought Zelda-chan here so that you two may live together. Her orphanage also brought her some problems and we were thinking if you are not opposed, if she could move in with you?"

"Yeah! That would be awesome!"

"Yes."

Came Zelda sharp voice, the two other people in the room looked at her with raised eye brows. Zelda slightly frowned at Naruto improper language.

"The word is 'yes' and not 'Yeah' Uzumaki-san. 'Yeah' is not a word."

Naruto eyebrows shoot up as the Hokage coughed.

"Yea… Yes I mean. Since you have no problem having Zelda-chan with you Naruto, then I will take my leave. Just one thing first."

Hiruzen pulled a scroll and taped it causing a second bed to be appear in the apartment. And a second set of drawers. The Hokage nodded to himself as he towards Zelda handing her money.

"Now it should be everything that you need Zelda-chan. Here is this is the money that I usually send to Naruto so he can take care of himself. Since you are living here too I will be sending you the same amount."

Zelda bowed respectfully.

"Thank you Hokage-sama."

The Hokage nodded at the both of them and left. Zelda's eyes scanned the apartment and she scowled locking eyes with Naruto. How could he live in such a filth? That was doing him no favors; it would be only bad in the long run and most certainly. She refused to live like that.

"Cleaning."

Naruto's head tilted.

"Eh?"

Zelda's eyes narrowed.

"Start Cleaning."

"Anoo… Z-Zel"

Zelda head immediately snapped and Naruto flinched under her gaze, she would not have a stuttering socially awkward family member.

"And we do not stutter!"

"Hai!"

Zelda kept her glare, until Naruto begun to sweat.

"Why are you not cleaning yet?"

Naruto scrambled to look for cleaning material. Zelda scrutinized him. Naruto was aloof, loud, and most of the time clueless. The boy was not intelligent. Perhaps perceptive or smart. And really lacked focus. Zelda could not remember any of her lifetimes were such behavior would have been acceptable. She was going to slap him into shape.

Zelda begun getting ridden of the pranking material. Then the ramen stashes and full control of finances. Not wasting money on useless stuff. Zelda was really taken back as she noticed how the price of everything was out of the roof. However, if the Hokage decided that it was the proper amount of money they need it so be it. She had to slap out his terrible speaking idiosyncrasies. His posture, his behavior. His nonexistent studies.

After three months of strict behavior control Zelda manage to make the little barbarian into something akin to civilized. After all, there was just so much she could do to such a damaged good, perhaps if they had being together sooner she could had the opportunity to do more for him.

They were in dinner, Naruto movements were stiff while eating perhaps with time they would come to be gracious. The chopstick in his hand slipped as he was trying to hold it in her graceful stances. She glared at the food on the floor and scowled pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I don't see why it is so hard in simply eating properly. We will have to practice more Naruto, you are really lacking…"

Naruto smiled strained and nodded.

"Gomen Zelda-chan."

Zelda scowled. The boy was becoming more and more awkward. He seemed to shy away from confrontations that he usually would not. It was somewhat more proper that his previous behavior. However, was somewhat lacking. He was quieter but in a way that seemed the annoy her. And he was remarkably clingy.

 _Although he is ratter warm and comfy…_

Zelda smashed the though. Such behavior was not proper. She was there, he did not need to act as if she would disappear in the next blink of an eye. She needed to shove him away from her constantly. Such behaviors must be nipped in the bud. She took a deep breath in annoyance.

"Ano… Zelda-chan are you alright?"

Zelda's eyes snapped at him. How could he be worried about her? She was to be worried about him. He was the one who needed help. All the help she could shove down that thing he called brain. And he asked at her with such worried eyes.

"Yes Uzumaki-san. I just have a lot on my mind."

Naruto grinned.

"Ne, ne. I know you don't like living here in the apartment. But soon enough I will be Hokage and we will have a better place to live. Believe it!"

Zelda scowled.

"You will never be Hokage Naruto. I know that, you know that. To keep shouting such non-sense on top of your lungs will not make it real. And 'Hokage' is not a magical word that will make everything fine just…"

"Enough!"

Zelda raised her him one eyebrow in question. Naruto seemed to be trembling.

"I m sick of it!"

Zelda frowned at the raised voice. Sure she did spoke of his childish dream, but he was needed to wake up from this childish dream and face reality. For more that it hurt, Naruto was the dead last from his class. No matter how much she tried to beat the knowledge in his mind and cut of his idiocy it was never enough. She could not see him being a wise and powerful Hokage.

"That is not a proper voice volume for an evening meal."

Naruto slammed his plate on the table crashing it in several pieces, growling growling at her.

"Proper this! Proper that! I am sick of it all! Why can't I have ramen? Why can't I prank and play? Why are you such a stuck up about everything!"

Zelda threw him a cold glare.

"It is for the best for the family. You must wake up from that childish dream Uzumaki-san."

"The hell it is! You are always saying that! But you never used my name to talk to me! You never smiled at me! You are always scowling and berating me! You are just like the rest of the village!"

At this point he had anger tears running down his blue eyes and such a hurt expression that it tighten her heart. Zelda simply found herself in stupor unable to think. The accusation actually made her numb. She was not like the villagers! She was not a monster berating…

Her blood run cold as a notch strained her throat. The many life times of ingrained proper manners kicked in making her run in automated answers.

"It was for the better of the family."

Naruto rose and walked to the door, Zelda mind pleading for him to stay, as her body kept the demeanor of cold politeness that it had ingrained, as her emotions run wild numbing her actions. Naruto stepped away from the door and looked back at her sorrowful, and alone.

"I am not stupid. I know it is a hard path. But that is my dream! I will be Hokage! And everyone will recognize me… Even you."

He stormed away as Zelda remained there, watching the door as he left. Silent tears poured down her face. Why did it came to this? She was just thinking the best for him. Every time she was annoyed was because he would spout that Hokage non-sense with that stupid... Smile. When was the last time he really smiled since she moved in? When was the last time that he looked alive since she moved in? Why was she so annoyed that he had a dream.

 _Because I have none of my own._

Zelda trembled. Was she so small that she could not tolerate her brother happiness? With all the wisdom and intelligence she possessed Zelda did not have what he had. A goal, a purpose. Moreover, seeing someone actually trying grated her core. She felt small, she felt stupid, she felt jealous. She could not admit it she had to make him different… but Naruto was already fine the way he was. If there was, someone that had to change it was she. Zelda closed her eyes.

She was no longer the guardian of a kingdom. She was not a sovereign. She was not even a Hylian. It was time to let go of her old role.

She was Uzumaki Zelda, and she had a brother with a hard path in front of him. And she had screw it up. Her eyes widened immediately. She had instituted a curfew, because at night the drunks would actively hunt them down the village.

Zelda body trembled as she scampered through the door. She run through the streets. Her mind running wild. Where would Naruto go? Her steps faltered. With who he liked to speak? What he liked to do? His favorite song? Did he had a favorite song? What had she done in these past three weeks that she knew nothing of him? Zelda grated her teeth.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

Zelda berated herself as her mind begun to run wild she quickly reigned over her wild emotions. If her stupid ability was any good now was the time to prove it. She kept her running as she begun to dissect her memories with him. It was a bizarre experience as it looked like she was seeing everything from a third person, as if it was not herself in those memories, and she had to admit. She was a stuck up bitch. Each memory seemed a stab at her hearth. How could she ever act like that? How could she be such a hurtful person and not recognize what she was doing to him? How much she was hurting him. It was right there! Beneath that huge grin and strained smile.

But what did he say? Why she could not remember their talks? Was she not paying… attention? No she was not. Her anger at what she had done boiled and she raged to the skies.

"Goddesses damn it! One memory! Just one memory!"

Zelda fell to her knees in sobs, as her heart begun to ach at her betrayal.

"Please Nayru. Just one memory. Anything to find my brother, on whom I have wronged."

She begun to run her mind once more through her memories, when one stood out.

Zelda was getting ridded of the ramen stash and Naruto cried out on how she could do it? Zelda answered that it was poison. He rebuffed saying that it was the food of the gods. And if she couldn't see it was because she never went to Ichiraku's.

Zelda laughed in relive whispering.

"Thank you."

She stood up and begun to run. Naruto was not stupid. He lived longer than she did on his own. He knew the city, he knew were to go. Moreover, Ichiraku's ramen stand was a safe spot.

She entered the stand running her yes wildly around as Teuchi came up to greet her.

"Hello there little…"

The man's welcoming smile become a scowl.

"Oh it you."

Zelda swallow, that judging look, this time was making her feel bad. Because this time she felt that she was in deed a monster.

"Please have you seem Naruto!"

The man seemed to sweep her entirely.

"You know three weeks ago Naruto passed her the happiest I ever saw him. Saying that he had found a lost sister. The boy was so happy, I though he had finally got lucky in life. He finally was going to have a family, someone he could trust and someone how would also trust him."

Zelda glanced down and Teuchi continue his chewing.

"It was heart breaking to see his happiness seeping away day after day. Damn it! Naruto have it hard ever since I knew him. No matter how many times the world tried to put the boy down he would always stand up and fight. Till you came and crashed down the boys heart. So excuse if for the first time I will refuse to answer a costumer. I don't want you anywhere near my stand!"

"AND I WAS WRONG!"

Zelda screamed at the top of her lungs, gritting her teeth in a sorrowful voice.

"And I was so wrong. Naruto don't have to change. I have to change! He is great the way he is. And I screw it up."

She rose her eyes filled with tears at Teuchi sobbing.

"And I am so sorry and I don't want to lose him! So please! Please tell where my brother is!"

The man frown seemed made of stone.

"And why should I tell you? So that you can go and hurt him all over again?"

Zelda eyes widened in despair griping at each word.

"Goddess no! I swear! I swear I will not ever hurt him again. Please!"

Ichiraku made a noisy with his throat.

"He passed through a few minutes ago. Went down the street. If you run you might find him."

Zelda Bowed quickly.

"Thank you!"

And run out. Naruto was not in his right mind if he ran towards were she though he was running. Zelda heard the commotion of an angry mob. So many times avoiding one had given her and Naruto the ability to recognize one miles away.

"We got the demon!"

"Shun him!"

"It is your fault demon child!"

Zelda Run towards the mob, seeing her brother being hit by a big man. She thanked the goddess that this mob did not had any shinobi with them. She cringed when she saw Naruto form. He looked like a he looked like a collection of bruises, his clothes torn apart, blood dripping from several cut. Naruto simply hissed and struggled trying to get away.

One man pulled a knife and Zelda thrown herself against him. The other one startled for a second, Naruto stomped on his foot. The man let go of him and Naruto grabbed Zelda's hand. They tried to run but the mob blocked their way, Naruto cursed under his breath. Zelda's hearth was pounding on her ears. Her eyes snapping everywhere around them.

She felt Naruto next to her faltering from his wounds, and the mob like a pack o hyenas jumped on them. Zelda thrown Naruto on the floor and fell on top shielding him.

Naruto's eyes flashed down at her with betrayal and then shock. His bruised face was agape as she winced at the barrage of raging the mob was directing at her back. The ANBU should had got there already.

"W-Why?"

Zelda looked at Naruto's strained face. She smiled wincing.

"You are my brother. My only brother."

She heard a crash, she though it was a crash somewhere. Or was it on her head? The then world fell apart in darkness.

Zelda woke up staring at a white ceiling; she looked around to find out she was in a hospital room. She was hooked up to some hospital equipment. She felt her ears buzzing; her eyes trailed to the side of her bed were she felt movement. To find a mop of blonde hair.

Naruto slept in a chair beside her, his head on her bed. She lifted her hand and pated his head, playing her fingers around his golden locks. Naruto's eyes fluttered looking up to her.

He was covered in bandages and full of purplish bruises, almost healed. His eyes widened and he stiffened under her touch. It hurt a little, but she knew why he reacted like that. He was just as broken as she was. He smiled such a shy smiled and then he frowned and growled at her.

"Baka! Why did you do that?"

Zelda tilted her head.

"Well your hair seemed kind fluffy Nii-san. I couldn't help it."

"I'm not talking about tha…"

Naruto then blinked owlish.

"'Nii-san'?"

Zelda felt her face flush. As she stood up she winced from her bruises. Naruto looked torn apart between being angry and worried. Zelda cast her eyes down.

"I-I am sorry Naruto."

She looked up to his eyes, he had a shocked expression on his face. Zelda bit her lower lip feeling as if she had ice on her stomach.

"Ne, Naruto. I am not good at this family thing. And I understand if you don't want to be with me again."

The blonde boy seemed annoyed now and Zelda continued.

"But if you could forgive me. Please give me a second chance. I will do better. I will be a good sister. And I will never hurt you again. Please Naruto, can you give… Onf!"

The world was warmth and smelled of sunshine and ramen. Naruto wrapped his arms around her and Zelda body went stiff.

"Yeah Nee-chan."

Zelda felt her shoulder relax, as Naruto suddenly moved away, with a flustered smile.

"I'm sorry. You don't really like 'clingy' stuff… onf!"

Zelda tackled the blonde boy out of the bed and she felt his body stiffening and a moment later relaxing. She felt a whisper coming through her lips.

"I think I can learn to like this kind of clingy stuff."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – ANBU JRs**

Zelda stared at Naruto. The wind blow trough the tall grass on the background. The battered field of dirt, pelted with pebbles. Sign that the training ground was not properly maintained. A few rotting posts were lying around.

She holded her fighting stance and frowned steping forward ready to strike down. Naruto flinched slightly raising his arm to defend the hit. Zelda cringed as her arm lose all speed and strength morphing the punch into a soft poke.

She looked deeply into his eyes and sigheted, he also sighted. Both hang their heads in synchronization.

"We cant do this nee-chan! I can't hit you and you can't hit me!"

Zelda sighted.

"We need the training."

Naruto nodded looking at her.

"But we cant hit each other!"

Zelda sighted deeply.

"I know."

Naruto perked up tense looking in a direction. Zelda frowned.

"What is it?"

Naruto frowned gritting his teeth.

"Someone is attacking a girl."

He shoot off and Zelda struggled to keep up. She could begin to hear the shouts and taunts. She then tackled Naruto to the ground hissing at him.

"What are you doing Naruto?"

He hissed back.

"I am saving her! How can I be Hokage if I can't save one girl?"

Zelda waked the back of his head. She really admired courage, and Naruto certainly had it in spares. But goddesses, he lacked common sense, or any sense at all.

"That is not what I am saying! I asking what is the plan?"

Naruto blinked owlish at her.

"What?"

Zelda felt her left eye ticking, and took a deep breath.

"Ok here is the plan. Do you still have those paint bombs with you?"

Her brother nodded, his eyes focusing on her.

"We obviously don't have the time to make a big trap. So we will go with distraction. You use the paint bombs and taunting. You take them away and I take the girl."

Naruto Nodded at her, and they run circling the group. Zelda stalked the rim of the trees in the training area. A group of childrens were pointing at a yung girl. Zelda could only make her white kimono. The children she identified then from the academy.

"Hey but face! What are you doing down there!"

Zelda looked up to Naruto standing on top of the tree branches. She had to admit, as both spend a lot of time running from the villagers, they were somewhat more fit then the other kids on their class. Ecept maybe the clan kids. They were trained from a yung age.

The other kids stared up at him putting their back at her, she crouched ready to shot at the girl.

"Is that kid nobody like!"

"Go away nobody like yo… augh!"

The second kid shouting as Naruto throw a pant bomb at him. The exploded in an orange cloud the begun to caught as Naruto boisterous laughed at them.

"Lets get him!"

Naruto begun to run taunting then.

"As if losers like you can match the future Hokage!"

Zelda shoot from the trees grabbing the girl hand shrouded by the orange cloud running with her away from the group of kids.

They run through the trees holding hands, Zelda dragged the girl to the other end of the training ground till she could no longer hear the cries of Naruto taunting's, and the shouts of the other children.

Zelda took a long breath looking back, she could no longer see the clearing. She could not help but wonder how her new body could dealt so well with physical labor she could never manage to measure up in her previously life's combine.

There was a small river running down the clearing with the remains of a wooden bridge. Zelda looked back at the girl. Midnight blue hair, silvery eyes red around the borders for crying. Clothes ruffled and dirty. She kept holding Zelda's hand that blinked twice at her.

What to do now? Zelda cleared her throat and the girl gave a small yelp. Looking up at her startled.

"Hello little one. I am Uzumaki Zelda, who are you?"

Girl eyes tried to hold her gaze but were unable and looked way immediately. Zelda frowned, she knew she could have a particular cold glare, however she was not aiming for that. The girl's silvery eyes kept darting around the edges. Like she was trying to look at Zelda but was afraid to do so. Could hse be one of the more scared vilagers?

Looking down and shuffling her feet the small girl answered.

"I-I am Hi-Hinata.'

Zelda swollen down a remark about stuttering, holding her blank mask. It really grated on her. On the other hand she was dealing with a child. Zelda took a deep breath and sighted.

"Come Hinata-san lets fix you up."

Zelda noticed the grip on her hand was still strong, it was like a life line. She brought the girl towards the river, were she let go of the hand and began to clean her face. As soon as she cleared her face she secou her hands on her kimono and grabbed Zelda's hand she still looked really stressed. Zelda took a deep breath as she heard a loud scream.

"Nee-Chan!"

Zelda looked at Naruto's form coming waving at her. He looked rufled and dirty, with a split lip and black eye. Her troat tightened as she rushed towards him dragging Hinata with her. She fussed over him. Naruto pated her hand away smiling, that stupid grin.

"Ne, ne Zelda. I am fine. I am a hero! Just this is not enough to bring me down!"

Zelda glanced to her right at the small gasp she heard Hinata had her eyes wide looking at Naruto her mouth was sligly open.

"Y-You got h-hurt because of me?"

Naruto looked at her with a bloody eye, his good eye wided slightly and then he waved at her.

"Nah I am good. Heroes go through this all the time."

Hinata begun to sob rubbing her eyes.

"I am sorry, I am sorry."

Naruto begun to panic and looked at Zelda, she closed her eyes, praying for patient. She was not good with children. Zelda scooted closer to Hinata embracing her slowly, the girl stilted for a moment. Zelda frowned at the all too familiar response. Hinata response to her embrace was to shuffle and throw her arms around Zelda as if she was the only thing in the holding her together and there was crying.

 _Goddessess there was crying._

She glanced to Naruto who gave here an apologetic smile and walked over the river to clean his face. Zelda gave him a glare for letting her behind to care for a distressed Hinata. The Uzumaki tried rubbing small circles on the girl back. Hacking her mind and finding a respectable repertoire of etiquette, magic, and other miscellaneous teachings. Pretty sure she knew nothing on dealing with distressed children.

The reincarnated Goddesses did however, remembered a song. A parted gift from a long journey. Zelda knew that without a magical instrument she would need to drag on her own magic to perform it properly. And it wouldn't be so powerful but it was all she had.

With a deep breath touching deep in her councious, she than begun to sing the Song of Healing.

"[[ LYRICS by ColdFlameZero: ]]

Day to night, dark to light,

Fall the sands of time.

Let the years like the gears

Of a clock unwind

In your mind walk through time

Back to better days.

Memories, like a dream,

Wash tears away.

Like a star in the sky,

Darkness can't reach you

Light the night, joy is light,

Till the new dawn.

Cast away your old face

Let go your spite,

With this mask I'll ask

To borrow your light"

As Hinata calmed down and Naruto looked with slack jaw. His voice a whisper.

"Nee-chan, that was amazing."

Zelda smiled at him lazily with half lidded eyes. Singing a magical song reverberated within the soul, it caused a kind of numbness that she had few words to describe. It would take a little to her to feel full awake again.

As Hinatas sobs had seemed to subsid. Zelda's thoughts began to run from their sluggish pace, her head then snapped up.

"Masks."

Naruto blinked at her.

"What?"

Zelda nodded at him.

"Like the ANBU, we will use masks for our training."

Naruto tilted his face.

"Masks?"

Zelda nodded, in truth she was trained like that once a life time ago. The porpuse was to set apart emotional feelings towards the master and disciple. Or how her old Sensei would crudly state.

"What happens in the training field stays in the training field. So come here and let me clean the floor with you."

Zelda felt the slight tick on her left eye, Impa was a remarkable bundle of contradictions, however now she begun to understand some of the… less tender caring of the woman.

"We are too afraid of hurting each other. But that is actually hurting us deeper than anything else. When we fight with masks we guard all these feeling behind then. That way we can keep the abilities without hurting each other. Just like the ANBU. When they use the masks they don't have feelings. They are the elite of the Leaf. We will be ANBU Juniors."

Naruto smiled.

"Yatta! We will be awesome!"

Zelda nodded, when she heard a soft voice.

"Let me be one too."

Zelda looked down at Hinata as she stood up with her silvery eyes in a determined nod.

"Let me be one too! Help me be strong too!"

Zelda raised an eyebrow. This girl seemed too soft for the shinobi life.

"We are training to be shinobi Hinata-chan. It is a dangerous life."

Hinata looked down crestfallen; Naruto stepped up and touched her shoulder. Hinata looked up to him startled and he smiled, that stupid grin.

"If that is the path you wana Hinata-chan, we will help you."

He then raised his fists to the sky screaming at the top of his lungs.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto! And I will be Hokage! Belive it!"

Zelda face palmed and peeked at Hinata through her fingers, and there was a face of pure disbelief. Then the faintest smile begun to blooming on her face into staunch grin as she pumped her fists to the sky screameing.

"And I am Hyuga Hinata! And I will be a great family head and make my family happy!"

 _Hyuga?_

Zelda felt her mind tilt to a stop.

 _No. Certainly not._

As she took a better look at the child. This was Hinata Hyuuga, heiress of one of the most powerful clans of Konoha. Zelda felt her throat going dry, as her hearth begun to beat faster. The Hyuga were pretty much her equivalent of nobility within the village. And she was treating the Hyuuga heiress as a mere child.

Oh goddess.

Zelda kept her blank mask ready to apologize the the heiress as the sound of Naruto and Hinata laughter filled the clearing. The heiress was way less rampant then Naruto. It had a gentle tingling sound to it in her opinion.

Zelda stepped up bowing to Hinata.

"Pardon my manners Hyuga-dono. But why would you join us in training? Someone from such a prominent clan would probably receive a much more in depth training from proper tutors."

Hinata took a step back darting her eyes away her voice cracking up a little.

"I am not really good at being shinobi. So father Is a little displeased with me... The tutors are not happy either, they are always telling me how I am lacking…"

Hinata trailed of as she bite on her fingers, she then took her hands down.

"But if I were a good shinobi he would be happy and I could become the next head and help our family."

She then looked up into Zelda ice blue.

"I want to do better! I want to be better!"

Zelda took a moment, analysing Hinata who became even more nervous under her scrutiny. Zelda though she would simply crumble in a pile of nerves in front of her. But she upheld her ground.

Zelda felt Naruto's hand on her shouler, she inclined her head to him.

"Nee-chan lets do this!"

Zelda took er eyes away from Hinata and glanced at Naruto, hearing the sigh of reliefe from Hinata. She took in his eyes almost shimmering whith determination. She then nodded at him.

"Very well, we are from here forward the ANBU JRs."

Hinata sighet in relief and Naruto pumped his fist smiling wit all his teeth.

"Yeah! We will be awesome!"

Zelda nodded smiling allowing a small smile on her face nodding while planning, she gave a glance towards Hinata that seemed as eager as Naruto.

"Well Naruto we know what type of training we want to do. We will need masks. Blank masks so we can make our own. And we would need black concealing uniforms."

Naruto was crestfallen.

"B-But Nee-cha! You know we cant get uniforms!"

Hinata blinked owlish at the two of them, and Zelda turned to her the girl flinched again under her eyes.

"I fell you have a question Hyuuga-dono."

"W-Why can't you g-get an uniform?"

Naruto flinched beside her, Zelda nodded unaffected.

"Ah we are seen in the village as some kind of pariah. Henceforth our money is not well received. Or the prices for us is a little more taxes. Something abuot the kyuubi interests."

Hinata nibbled at her bottom lip.

"Ano. I-I could b-buy then for you."

Zelda nodded.

"Thank you Hyuuga-dono. We shall give you the money for the transaction. Let's begin with two sets of uniform."

Zelda frowned.

"There are other things for us to do also."

Zelda dressed up the dark clothes on her, and looked over the white mask with the eye of the truth painted on top of it and smiled fondly. Hinata almost botched the bought of the uniforms and masks. She was too nervous. And didn't even had to lie to the counter man, she just had to say she needed it for her friends.

"Friends."

Zelda tested the word on her lips smiling again. She and Naruto latched on little Hinata, and she in return latched on them. Zelda smiled sadly at the mask, it was sad to know how desperate they all were for acceptance.

The training was paying of for them. The improvements on the taijutsu training was showing up really quickly. Zelda also took upon herself to create a list of "missions" that they would perform to hone their shinobi abilities.

She stood up from her bed and grabbed her strap bag. It was heavy and the sound of clinking metal was loud. Naruto was still working on his pranks. She had other plans.

She walked down on the street, the glares at her now didn't felt so harsh. They were, but Zelda had one friend beside Naruto and for some reason, Hinatas opinion seemed to carry more weight than of those people.

The end of the road had a beaten earth path, walking through the woods she heard the sound of clangours. And she found a metal smith.

The smithy looked dirty and in need of repairs. The counter, seemed desert, she glanced around and found the work shop a tall lean man hammered metal with strength and without pause.

Zelda frowned; she remembered the blacksmiths in Hyrule often looked at least twice as large as him. He looked too lean to be a forger.

The man looked up at her and rested the hammer, he was slightly curved, lazy hazel eyes and a bandana on top of his head hiding his eye browns.

"Sup kiddo?"

Zelda blinked at him.

"I came here to become an apprentice."

The man waved her of.

"Nah. Aint got the time to waist."

Zelda nodded approvingly as she put the bag on the floor opening the top revealing a great deal of wasted kunais, shirukens and other tools that she collected from the training grounds.

"Good then you won't waste my time neither with useless tutoring. What are my instructions?"

The man stared at her with those half lidded eyes for a moment then snorted loudly, picking up a bandana and a vest and a pair of gloves.

"First you gota protect that goldie lock of your. You don't want to catch fire in the middle of smiting."

Zelda nodded as she begun to dress herself, the man nodded.

"Yer righty or lefty?"

Zelda looked down at her hands. And looked up.

"I am training to be shinobi so I would like to keep balance on both."

The man nodded.

"That gonna take more time. But it will work. Come ere. Today you watch, and ask, tomorrow you hammer."

Zelda keeping watching the man working, she still though he was too lanky too work on the forge. But he somehow managed that.

"You look a little thing for this kind of work."

The hammered more two times and rested the blade on the forge letting it heat up again. And gazed her.

"Used to be a chuunin. Retired after a accident with my unit. Never got back to the force. Too many bad memories. I'm okay helping with weapons."

Zelda nodded and frowned.

"Still don't explain how you do it."

The man grinned at her.

"A that be a chackra exercise, keepting steady flow of chakra trough muscles to enhance stamina and strength it is a very largely used technique."

He then scratched his head.

"You hadn't learned that yet?"

Zelda shocked her head exanimating the metal on the forge.

"I see. Well, ya be working on the small stuff till you master it. I will give you the basics to it."

Zelda nodded as the man pick up the hot metal and got back to hammering. If it was such largely applied technique, how hard could it be?

Chackra control exercises were nearly impossible. Zelda couldn't believe it was a basic. Naruto was sprawled on the floor wising gone leaf on his hand. Zelda glanced over to Hinata who had leafs sticking all over her, her eyes closed in a lots position, serenely calm. A tin sheet of sweat over her forehead was the unique indication of effort.

Hinata them opened her eyes as the leafs fell from her body.

"Y-Yes Zelda-chan?"

Zelda blinked twice.

"How do you do it so well?"

Hinata bowed.

"Gomen Zelda. But Hyuuga are trained since young in chackra control. Our fighting style require it to be a second nature."

Zelda frowned.

"There is no need to apologise. You did nothing wrong. To apologise to receive a higher education is foolish. If you re apologising for our condition also foolish. We are orphans from the kyuuby attack it is not your fault in any way or form."

Hinata nodded curtly with a small smile at Zelda, who nodded and looked back at the leaf on her hand. She closed her eyes focusing on her center.

Chackra was so different form magic.

Both were energies, but chackra seemed lacking in something. Chackra was wild, and chaotic, two opposite of powers fighting to work on one another, yet one could not exist without the other.

Magic as one, always was, always will and still was. It was one thing and one thing alone. It was ancient, it was there when the first stars were born on the sky and would be there to see the last one to fade.

Chakra felt, well for an old soul like Zelda. Chacka felt young. As a really recent power. Still coming in terms to what should be is purpose in this world.

And in her to half's specially in disarray, her spiritual growth was too big in comparison to her physical. For magic that was a bonus. Magic was thought turned into reality. But for chakra the unbalance was a huge problem.

She had a hard time balancing it. It was good that she found the problem now. She would take years to address the problem later on. Most of jutsus required equal parts of chakra for a proper release.

Naruto on the other hand had the opposite trouble. His chakra, the physical halve easily dwarfed his spiritual side. He had a harder time than her. But it would pay off a thousand times for him to train the skill now. Than later.

Zelda manage to hold the leaf on her hand for about two minutes with sweat pouring from her in exertion. She huffed please with her advancement. She then looked up to Hinata, now she was spinning the leafs over her wo hands. Zelda kept staring at the leafs spinning.

She then remembered of the spiral Naruto had in most of his clothes. She frowned for a moment when Hinata stopped her training.

"Naruto? Why do you have those spirals on your clothes?"

Naruto blinked at her.

"I don't know. Well, first clothes jiji gave me had them. So I like them a lot so I always put them on my clothes."

"They look like the Uzumaki clan insignia."

Hinata commented now paying attention on the spiral on Naruto's shirt. Zelda raised one eyes brown to Hinata, who nodded at her.

"The Uzumaki clan was a clan considered so powerful they processed their own hidden village. Uzushiogakure. They were close allies to Konoha trough he Senju clan. They were destroyed in an attack of tree hidden villages against them. To this day we have heir insignia on our hatyate. The spiral inside the leaf as a form of honouring their memory."

Zelda frowned.

"I don't remember this on the history books."

Hinata nodded agreeing.

"And you won't find. This was a private lesson of my clan. Is part of the teaching given to clan children."

Zelda tough it must be soothing akin to heraldry. It wold make sense. Most clans liked to be properly reconized. Naruto widened his eyes.

"No way we have a clan"

Zelda frowned for a moment. The Uzumaki clan seemed like an all too important of an ally to have their last descents to treated like dirty as it was for her and Naruto. The Hokage would never allow that to come to pass. Obviously it was not the case.

The name of the bestowed to them was probably out of as a form the let the name live on.

"I don't think that would be the case Naruto. But it is a great name bestowed to us by the Hokage. One we could strive to live up to."

Naruto blinked twice and nodded smiling.

"Yeh! We are gonna make a new Uzumaki clan! And everyone will recognize us!"

Zelda nodded.

"Well anything else you would like to teach us about the Uzumaki clan Hinata?"

Hinata frowned concentrating.

"Well the more general knowledge of them was a clan the clan specialization on sealing arts."

That perked up Zeldas attention.

"Sealing arts? Ah like the ones used on sealing scrolls and such?"

Hinata nodded.

"Yes, they were know for being able to merge the sealing art in combat. And producing amazing seal."

Zelda frowned.

"Would that be a bloodline limit?"

Hinata pressed her fingers together.

"Well I wouldn't know. You would have to research more in the library. But I heard the Uzumaki clan bloodline limit was a great vigour and large reserves of chackra."

Zelda felt a chill climbing up her spine.

"Hinata how would you assess my and Naruto chackra reserves?"

Hinata frowned for a moment.

"Well, I would say you both have a realy large pool of chackra. Naruto more than you. It is why you two have so much trouble dealing with chakra control. The greater the chakra reserves a person possess the hardest they have in controlling it."

Zelda nodded with a blank face as her mind was spinning new ideas. She clear her throat.

"Hyuuga-sama, would you know physical traits of the Uzumaki?"

Hinata blinked twice, focusing on Zelda.

"Oh! Hum, they were known for having a really red blood hair. Most of them were red heads."

Zelda exhale slowly through the nose in relieve.

"So sealing arts. I think I will begin to research on that."

Naruto wined.

"But nee-chan that sounds boring!"

She smiled at him. Sniffing ever so subtle.

"Don't worry, oh brother of my. I will do this endeavour by myself. Alone, so, so alone. Lonely braving the library all by myself. And you don't have to worry. I would never see it as abandonment in any way or form."

Naruto face palmed.

"Okay, okay stop with the mushy stuff. I will go with you to the library."

She then glopped Naruto.

"Thank you nii-san!"

Zelda grined at Naruto, who took deep sigh.

"A-ano, I could help too."

Zelda glanced at Naruto, just shrugged.

"Yah, yaeh she can come too."

Zelda gave him a small smile noticing the beaming smile on Hinata. And then the grumbling sound of Narutos bely broke the moment. Zelda gave Naruto an unimpressed eyebrow raise, while Hinata giggled delight behind her hand as Naruto sheepishly scratched his neck. Zelda nodded.

"It would seems it is lunch time already. Lets pack up."

She then glanced at Naruto how stared at her for a moment when the realization hit him and he beamed like the sun.

"Yes it is Friday! Ramen Day!"

Zelda felt her left eye twitch.

"Yes… Ramen day."

Hinata giggled and silenced with a yelped when Zelda glanced at her with cold eyes.

Zelda sighed again and picked up her belonging putting then on her back pack. Since they began training she took to carry the back pack up and down. Carrying an assortment of equipment's and books.

Naruto was rambling waving his hand wildly next to Hinata who was smiling and nodding at him. Zelda fitted one of the straps feeling better the weight of the backpack on her shoulder. She frowned slightly, she remembered from her past life times that she had a much weaker body.

Even as a sheika she never managed the same stamina she had now. Her eyesbrows were close as she though, could she end Naruto be really Uzumaki? Perhaps a branching from the main family. Cast out members decedents. That would be fairly possible.

A heavy atmosphere settled in and Zelda looked up. Naruto was glaring at a group of Hyuugas who were staring with contempt at Hinata. Who seemed to hide behind Naruto puffing out his chest as they kept walking towards the ramen stand.

Zelda could understand what was Hinata problem. She had seen it too many times. Some people born in royalty not always matched up with the standard to such responsibilities. Many people simply were not in conformity with the image expected of the post.

Hinata was a kind soul, shy and with problems believing she was any good in anything, but given her a more relaxed environment and she bloomed in a beautifully, her taijutsu was faster and much more fluid than what she usually would use in the academy. When asked about it, she revealed that in academy she moved like the proper technique of the Gentle Fist should be used. When she was with Zelda and Naruto she moved like her body felt like.

They reached the stand in an eerie silence. They made their requests and awaited.

Zelda kept her silence as Naruto was hopelessly trying to rise Hinata mood. Zelda kept her ramen without touching it. She than called.

"Hinata."

Hinata yipped looking at Zelda, uncertain on her eyes.

"Don't you have pride? Don't care about how people see you? Or how others perceive you? Or how at any moment people are staring and judging you?"

Zelda finished staring Hinata in the eye, the blunete was with tears rising on her eyes, Naruto was openly glaring at her. But that was something that she needed to do. Zelda then stared at Hinata.

"Because I don't."

She then smacked her face on the ramen bubbling loudly, when she rise up again she had long strands of ramen falling from her eyebrows, and on around her mouth making a ramen beard.

"Behold the Noodle Sage!"

Hinata stilted immobile, for a second and began to tremble, laughter erupted form her and Naruto! Laughing out loud from Zelda's Noodle sage.

Teuchi chuckle lending her a towel to clean up her impersonation.

"Thank you Teuchi-san."

She then turned to a more relaxed Hinata.

"Ne Hinata, you look beautiful with a smile."

Hinata blushed slightly averted her eyes. Till Naruto announced.

"Yeah Hinata-chan! You look like a princess when you smile like that!"

Hinata blush when a full blow red and she ducked her head, but a stubborn smile would not leave her face. Zelda smile at her and called with a soft voice.

"Hinata-chan. Why do you think I acted, how did Naruto described it? Proper and stuck up. I believe? Why do you think I act like that Hinata?"

Hinata just blinked owlishy and turned her eyes away.

"Because it the proper way?"

Zelda chuckled.

"Hinata I am an orphan. Nobody care about my manners beyond myself. No it is not because its proper, it is because I like it. I don't care if anyone approve or disapprove on how I behave. I do it because I am happy this way. More important then the proper behaviour is what do you want to be Hinata."

Hinata took a deep breath.

"I wanted to be like you Zelda-san. Because you are like everything my father sxpects from me."

Zelda looked down for a moment and looked up again.

"Hinata, you must understand that all of us are granted with our own particular strengths. Aloofness is not yours."

Hinata looked down.

"I cant really teach you that because I kwon it won't make you any good. However…"

Zelda let that hang on the air as Hinata eyes shoot up to her, hope stamped over her face.

"Kindness and a smile is what you will use as weapons. Believe me Hinata you will face the world with a smile on your face, and it will grant you victory. Would let me teach you Hinata?"

Hinata smiled bloomed again.

"Hai Zelda sensei."

Zelda nodded approvingly.

"Very well Hinata-sama."

Hinata frowned.

"Ne Zelda-chan I don't think we need honorifics between us."

Zelda glanced at her form her lamen.

"I believe we do. At least until you get more comfortable with then."

She observed the forlorn look on Hinata face, and took a deep breath and looked around , the Hyuuga noticed and gave a quick glance around as well. Zelda approached her and whispered with a small smile.

"However for the important occasions, I can keep myself to Hina-chan, ne?"

Hinata beamed at Zelda and the former goddess felt warm inside, just like she felt with Naruto.

The three friends parted ways Hinata going to her compound as Naruto and Zelda waked towards their apartment.

"Nee-chan?"

"Yes Nii-chan?"

He looked up to her a question o his lips, he sighted and looked down. Zelda stopped on the spot.

"Naruto, please if it is something important, please tell me what it is."

Naruto's face scrunched in a little as he blushed his blue eyes met her for a moment, he seemed really uncomfortable and guilty? Why would Naruto feel guilty? He shuffled his feet a little.

"Ne nee-chan, do you think that Hinata-chan will abandon us once she got brave?"

Zelda frowned a little and understood immediately Naruto's wuestion, but she needed him to understand it.

"What you mean?"

"W-wel, Hina-chan is like a kick-ass princess right?"

Zelda raised one brown but did not interrupted her brother.

"And, she just walk with us cause, she's like super shy and I don't think that the other kids got how kick ass she is! And that is like great that we have like this super kick ass friend that is like super smart and super pretty…"

Zelda raised her other eyebrow.

"And super kind, and, and."

He then looked down.

"And maybe she will still be your friend because you are like super smart and, have all this polite stuff, and speak super good and are learning super fast how to be shinobi…"

Naruto sniffed hard, his eye were a little moist, but Zelda didn't stop him, this was important, didn't matter that she wanted to go over and hug him. He then gave that stupid grin.

"And I am just the stupid gaki who still have trouble with words and writing. I mean I will be Hokage one day, but I guess you guys will be already beyond me by the time I get there. Why would any of you want to be with an idiot like me? Once everyone see how awesome Hinata is I don't think she will want to talk to me anymore."

Naruto had some tears coming down on his face and Zelda looked up in the Sky and down at him again. She took a deep breath and nudged hard on his head screeching.

"What the hell is wrong with you dattebane!"

Naruto was holding his head with an open mouth and wide eyes, Zelda blushed deeply and coughed politly, she had managed the verbal tick for the last eigh years, to slip like that.

"Naruto, to help Hinata to rise and become better in what she decedes to be is part of being her friend. She has trouble dealing with people and dealing with her own family. It is so hard for her that she can barely stand on her own two feet."

Naruto nodded hanging on every word and looking down.

"She is not very happy is she?"

Zelda smiled sadly at him.

"No."

He then gave a little bit on his lip.

"And she hangs with us because she is really sad right? So if she is not sad she will stop hanging with us?"

Zelda stared at him with a blank face.

"Naruto are you happy living with me? Are you happy with our family?"

Naruto frowned.

"Well yeah I am."

"So you will leave me? I mean you are already happy righ?"

Naruto shock his head fast.

"No nee-chan I will not abandon you!"

Zelda nodded slowly.

"So you want me to be sad so I will not leave you?"

Naruto shock his head again.

"No I want you to be happy."

Zelda smiled.

"I am happy Naruto and I have not left you. Not just because you are a good brother or because I think you are a…"

Zelda gulped hard, she hated using the slang words.

"A awesome shinobi. But because you make me happy and I want you to be happy too."

Naruto smiled a little and looked down. Zelda approached and swallow.

"However, it can happen one day Naruto, when the friends we once had, no longer are the friends we are closer to. Some friendships can whiter with time."

She raised her hand to stop him from interrupting her.

"And that is not a bad thing. Who is to say what are the designs of fate. We might need to learn a great lesson with a friend and this friend just need one lesson with us, and its life will go on in another direction. There is nothing wrong with that Naruto. People can change with time. Some for the better some for the worst."

Naruto gave a deep sight and looked up.

"I still want to be Hinata-chan's friend."

Zelda nodded.

"So do I Naruto. So do I."

She tilted her head.

"But that not just up to us. It is up to her too. Friendship cannot be one sided it has to be both ways. She also has to want to be our friend."

She smiled.

"And I believe that Hina-chan wants to be our friend too."

Naruto smiled at that and both kept walking towards their house. The sun was already set, and a prickling feeling on the back of Zelda neck made her speed up the pace.

The next day the news was on everyone tongue. The Uchiha clan had being slayed.

A week later there was organized a rite for the passing can. Zelda managed with Hinata's help the proper attires for her and Naruto.

"Nee-chan why do we have to be here? We don't know anyone from the Uchiha clan."

Zelda glanced at him and again to the procession of clans caring the coffin representing all those that were lost, besides them the last Uchiha heir.

"Because Naruto, they were one of our own. They were part of Konoha. Our village became a little lesser for not having them."

Naruto frowned little looking uncomfortable on his black kimono.

"I always though they were kind of stuck ups."

Zelda looked at the procession toughly.

"Naruto you want to be Hokage one day so you better learn now. Our village is not just you, me and a few. If you really want to be Hokage you will have to care for all of us. And good or bad, 'stuck up' or goofy we will be your people. And we will be the best you will have."

Naruto looked thoughtful and a little disgruntled at the thought of dealing with stuck ups. Zelda then nodded towards the Hokage.

"And when a loss like that happens under your whach, that will weigh on your shoulder, because you care about all of them."

The Hokage came last, and his eyes were sunken and he looked older than Zelda ever saw him. And she understood. How many had she lost on the kingdom when she had to face Gannon's wrath repeatedly. It was never a matter of withstand, it was always a matter of cutting losses and trying to keep the most she could. A few hundred die here so she could keep a few thousand alive there.

The cold calculus of war.

She then glanced at Naruto, looking surprising thoughtful for once, and could not help to question. Would he be one day ready for the weight of leader ship. As he grew would he keep his dream?

"When I am Hokage. I will make sure things like that don't happen. That our family of Konha will be strong and happy. Believe it."

And just like that Zelda stared at Naruto, her mind blank with one only though.

 _I belive you._

The determination and courage on his eyes, she had only once saw such determination. And the goddesses knew that man had managed to move earth and heaven to make the impossible happen. And right now Zelda believed, Naruto could indeed make that happen.

The Uchiha massacre was still hot topic around the village, specially the civilian sector, even after one month about it. People were still thinking if the Uchiha heir would have to repopulate the Uchiha district by himself.

It lead to several civilian going out of their way to prepare their daughters to have a shot at the Uchiha heir, all the clan riches had being draw to him.

Zelda actually heard, or eavesdropped this gossips with mild interest. She believed the loss of the an entire clan, politically speaking was a huge blow for Konoha, specially so close to the Kyubby attack. She didn't have a particular though on the matter of the Uchiha heir in itself.

The truth was, she didn't know him. To pity him would be disrespectful. To give him false sympathy was just a waste. To worship the very ground were he stepped trough looked stupid beyond a question, as many of the civilians were doing.

What was the right way to deal with him would be? Zelda had no idea, she did not know him, and she would not pretend to be all knowing and say little recipes to deal with all situations. She firmly believed each people were one separated case.

She would never know how to deal with the last Uchiha unless she came to know him. And frankly speaking that would never happen.

"Fight me."

Zelda stared at Uchiha heir from behind her mask. Dark hair, charcoal black eyes, a blue long necked shirt, white shorts, fingerless gloves and standard sandals. She tilted her head towards Naruto and Hinata who were in a spar behind her wearing their own masks and undescriptive black uniforms.

They exchanged a quick talk trough signs. Zelda thought it would undermine the exercise if they were simply talking all the time.

She glanced at the boy, dark rings under his eyes, a scowl on his face. She took a step back and allowed space for the boy to begin.

He just viciously jumped at her, with an animal like snarl. The boy had a really fast moving pace, he fought ragingly trough the forms. Zelda frowned finally understanding the full scope of Hinata's ability. Hinata fluidity trough her forms made it almost impossible to predict her next move. Fighting with Hinata is a test of faith in blind instinct to defend yourself.

The Uchiha heir right now was vicious, and raging. But that was only that. He was fast and each hit was like a hammer blow. But he was too emotional, he had no focus.

 _He is raging._

Zelda remembered a time when she did the same against Impa, when she was learning how to be a sheika. She had just lost her kingdom and could not fight back. She had so much hatred, so much anger that she could choke on herself. Impa only raised an eyebrow to that and threw her on the ground. Trough all that afternoon.

Zelda decided to follow her old mentor example. The Uchiha hit the floor many times. Snarling wildly at her. Zelda was not overly offensive, taking her time to find the breaches on his defences to bring him down. He took his fair share of hits in, and honestly speaking if Zelda was with the body of any of her previous life's, she would had probably being knocked out already.

When she took him down one last time he just stood there on the floor. The Uchiha heir seemed willing to keep raging, but his body would not move on anymore. Zelda noted however, how much more relaxed his body was. He entered the fight ready to snap, it felt like she had being the stress valve he did not know he needed.

He took a shuddering breath with one arm over his eyes.

"I will never avenge them like this. I just…"

Eyes stared at him for a moment. She crouched beside him and hand signal him when he looked at her from behind his eyes.

 _That is a bad path. Won't take you far enough._

The Uchiha heir frowned at her.

"Enough for what?"

Zelda stared at him from behind the mask and signalled to Naruto to bring her a blank mask, a black uniform and a piece of paper. She wrote down their training schedule and gave to him.

Sasuke stared at what he received blinking without understanding.

"What is this?"

Zelda signalled at him.

 _Strength._

With that her and the rest of the ANBU junior departed.

The next training cat joined them.

Zelda looked over her shoulder as she stretched with Hinata. Naruto and Sasuke were helping one another to stretch. Of course during training they were Spiral and Cat. Zelda ha to admit, it was the first ANBU junior with a proper animal name. Hinata answered as Rain, Zelda herself was Eyes.

Sasuke had brought a peculiar dynamics to their little group of.

After the Uchiha heir had cooled down his head and begun to train with the mask, he was no longer just vicious in his attacks. He was worse, he was cunning. He was fast. He used his agility to bait you into false hope of security to fight you.

At first he tried to overpower his opponents, cool headed he manage to do that to Naruto and Zelda, although in that aspect it was a fifty percent chance of success. Both her and Naruto had great stamina and could drag a fight for the foe to burnout.

But Hinata, was just ridiculous more unpredictable and powerful then the two Uzumaki. And punished with equal viciousness trying to brute strength through her.

With the two being such a great contrast in fighting style the diversity to the training was great and greatly benefit all of them.

And outside of the ANBU juniors, The Uchiha heir would generally gravities towards them. Witch Zelda greeted with a raised eyebrow. Naruto didn't particularly like him, and Hinata seemed just happy to have a new friend.

He seemed to have a grudging respect for Hinata's abilities, a formal compromise with Zelda and straight out confrontation with Naruto. Zelda pinched the bridge of her nose every time the two were outside their masks.

She only thanked the goddesses that their confrontation did not bleed into the training.

Sasuke seemed ready and eager to prove himself better than anyone and Naruto seemed ready to not give him the satisfaction. Although most of the time Sasuke did manage to come on top of the "challenges" the two issued between themselves.

On the other hand trying not to be outshined by the Uchiha heir Naruto kept improving getting better in to many areas. Also giving a new difficult for Sasuke to suppress.

If Zelda had to describe their relationship, she would recall one of Impa's most crude explanations would suffice saying.

"It is just a dick waving contest."

The woman was really crude when she wanted.

Zelda was out of her musing as they finished the warm up for today's training when she saw he Hokage approaching being followed by two ANBUS. One had a wolf mask and another had a bird mask.

"A good timing I got you begore you started training."

The others looked up to Zelda for instruction. She just stood in attention with her arms behind her, and chest out. In truth neither of them had practiced for such.

Soon enough they were all side by side in attention. Hiruzen chucked.

"A very good."

He then passed examining each of them, nodding in approval. He then Eyed Zelda.

"Eyes, step forward."

She did so.

"Now for the sake of conversation, I will ask you to answer my questions verbally. Understood?"

"Yes Hokage-sama."

He smiled again.

"Ah good. I have now being aware of your group for some time. The reports have being very promising so far. I would like a personal assessment of them."

Zelda nodded and turned to spiral and cat signalling to them.

Full scope spare go.

Spiral and Cat did not lose time. The stood away from one another and begun. Blunted kunais and shiruken flew, as the two begun to clash at a distance. Spiral used his trunph the whole of the training area, trees become parts of his style, the round, he bounced everywhere. He was truly unpredictable. And Cat, was fast on the up take, but had his strength in grounding and more traditional combat.

"That is enough."

The Hokage called out, and the two stopped, bowing to the Hokage and walking back toward to Rain. They were winded behind the masks.

Hiruzen nodded approvingly. He them signal to wolf who stood in the centre of the training ground.

"Now I am particular interested in seeing Rain progress. I would like to see her sparing with wolf."

Zelda nodded signalling for Rain. Hiruzen nodded for them to begin. Rain was fast and relentless, the other attacked her testing defences, and finding little space to get in.

"That is enough."

Hiruzen had a slight frown on his face as he was trying to decide something.

"Eyes, I am curious. Rain outside of her mask, is not usually so…"

Zelda arched one eyebrow behind her mask.

"Fluid?"

The Hokafge nodded.

"Yes, she usually isn't so fluidly through her taijutsu trainings in the academy."

Zelda signalled to Rain who shocked her head and ducked. Zelda blinked twice.

"Well Hokage-sama, you have to understand that, fluidity is against Rain's clan beliefs. As such her traditional application on the traditional taijutso style of her clan is a little… hard on her. Rain posses a very distinctive flexibility on her body. That is not the best for the… inflexible style of her clan. Since in here she do not have to worry about being reprimanded for moving like her body demands, she has more freedom to act on the fluidity."

Zelda frowned a moment when wolf seemed to bristle on her words and the Hokage signalled to him to stay quiet. The Hokage looked at her urging to continue.

"Rain's clan had the advantage of being all seeing…" Here Cat snorted. "But their style is extremely offensive and frontal like. They may see attacks coming from different sides but they do not have the reach for deflecting them. Rain on the other hand, is both all-seeing as all reaching. Her body is flexible enough she can attack and defend from any direction at any time."

Eyes frowned.

"If she had help of a more specialized taijutsu instructor, she develop a variant of the clan style. A more defensive but more versatile style."

Hiruzen nodded acquiring a far look on his face. And smiled back at the group.

"I have decided to make you group a test for a more in depth training of our future shinobi. For that I want your training schedule. And reports on the perceived strengths, weakness and interests of your member's."

Zelda bowed deeply and the others followed in suit.

"As you command Hokage-sama. IT will be delivered to you."

"Good. Now I will leave you to your training."

Zelda bowed once again, as the Hokage and his two ANBU left the grounds.

The group went back to their training, but Zelda could see they did not have the focus anymore. With a sight, she called them and signalled to stop the training. They would meet up at Teuchi's in half an hour, enough time to prepare themselves for talking.

Arriving at the ramen stand Zelda could see Sasuke was already there. Probably more enthusiastic then Naruto himself.

Hidden behind a blank mask, she approached him nodding as Naruto was calling his ramen intake. Normally Zelda would fight him against eating it. But she knew he was really nervous. The food would help calming him down.

Hinata arrived a few moments later also asking for a bowl of ramem. With everyone on table Zelda cleared her throat.

"I would like to hear any inputs on what to do now."

 _ **Authors Notes:**_

The song of healing is from this link on the youtube just take away the spaces. I did not made the lyrics:

www . youtube watch?v=mPq9K7M0-XE&index=2&list=PLu28FYaoUIy1T_lLfV-mn1W1ZveV6YgL4

To all who reviewed Thank you very much.

Most must have noticed but I don't really plan on very regular updates, this one is almost one year aprt form the first. But in principle I am planning for just ten chapters.

About the shipping… No idea yet.

Once again thank you for all the reviews they really help keeping me writing.


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